history. (or the past)

“They say that those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. And yet, they say we are supposed to bury the past. Which is it?” I asked the teacher.

“There is no good?” he smiled.

“The good?”

“There is no doom in love. Why would we bury joy?”

“True. What about the bad?” I asked.

He smirked. “To some, studying the past is a film projector. They simply see it repeated. They are entertained and maybe even moved. To some, studying the past is a microscope. They analyze the overlooked details to try and understand. To some, studying the past is a telescope. They look into the universal truths that affect us still.

“To a select few, the past is a mirror. They see themselves. They see their nations, their cultures, their systems, but most importantly their own reflection. They see who they were, who they may still be, and what they are capable of, both good and bad. This the most useful way to look at the past. To better know the person that lives inside of us. To know who we are. Only then can we begin to decide if we want to live with them still.

“It is these who understand how to bury what was done and to still learn what there is to be learned.”